TITUS.
Lucius, what book is that she tosseth so?
YOUNG LUCIUS.
Grandsire, ’tis Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
My mother gave it me.
MARCUS.
For love of her that’s gone,
Perhaps, she culled it from among the rest.
TITUS.
Soft! So busily she turns the leaves!
Help her! What would she find? Lavinia, shall I read?
This is the tragic tale of Philomel,
And treats of Tereus’ treason and his rape;
And rape, I fear, was root of thy annoy.
MARCUS.
See, brother, see! Note how she quotes the leaves.
TITUS.
Lavinia, wert thou thus surprised, sweet girl,
Ravished and wronged, as Philomela was,
Forced in the ruthless, vast, and gloomy woods?
See, see!
Ay, such a place there is where we did hunt,—
O, had we never, never hunted there!—
Patterned by that the poet here describes,
By nature made for murders and for rapes.
MARCUS.
O, why should nature build so foul a den,
Unless the gods delight in tragedies?
TITUS.
Give signs, sweet girl, for here are none but friends,
What Roman lord it was durst do the deed.
Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst,
That left the camp to sin in Lucrece’ bed?
MARCUS.
Sit down, sweet niece. Brother, sit down by me.
Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury,
Inspire me, that I may this treason find!
My lord, look here. Look here, Lavinia.
This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou canst,
This after me. I have writ my name
[He writes his name with his staff and guides it with feet and mouth.]